Western Theme Games for Kids

Target Practice

• Fill up enough water guns so each kid will have one for the game. Line up enough empty cans along the edge of a table to have one per child. Draw a line of chalk on the ground approximately 6 or 7 feet away to let the kids know where to stand to shoot his can. Each time a child knocks over a can with his water gun, he receives a point. Have one adult keep score and another adult replace the cans that fall over. After a specific amount of time, stop the game to see who has the most points. Play a second round, but blindfold each kid to make the game harder.

Freeze Tag

• Play freeze tag with water guns, but let adults know ahead of time that their kids might get wet. Designate one kid as a sheriff by giving him a water gun and a large badge. Designate another kid as the robber by giving him a bandanna to wear around his neck, a sack of play coins to carry, and a water gun. All the other kids should receive deputy badges to help the sheriff catch the robber but not a water gun. Let all the deputies spread out and let the robber loose. Hold back the sheriff for one minute to let the robber get a head start. The robber should shoot the deputies with water to freeze them. The deputies should try to catch the robber without getting wet. The sheriff can come through and unfreeze the deputies by shooting them with water. The goal is to help the sheriff catch the robber without getting wet. If another deputy catches the robber without getting shot, he then becomes the robber.

Mining for Gold

• Set up three stations where your cowboys and cowgirls can mine, pan or hunt for gold. In the first station, bury fake gold coins, polished stones and small toys in a box of sand. Keep several strainers beside the sandbox to help them look. In the second station, spread hay and straw over wrapped toys and candy coins. In the third station, place a large, gray sheet over some chairs and use cardboard decorated like timbers to make a cave mine. Hide toys and gold coins inside the cave. Give each kid a bucket to carry their found treasure. Divide the kids up between the three stations to start looking for gold. After two minutes rotate the groups so they all get to look for gold in all the stations.